UK house building sector on the up, report finds

According to new figures from the National House Building Council, (NHBC) the number of new homes being built in the UK is on the rise, marking good news for tradesmen across the country.

The figures showed a 14 per cent rise for the number of new homes registered in the UK over the December 2013 to February 2014 quarter when compared to the same time period the year previously.

Overall, 29,557 new homes were registered during that aforementioned 2013-14 quarter, compared to 26,004 for the 2012-13 quarter. However, a decline was seen in the total number of new home registrations for February 2014 – 9,484 – compared to 10,538 in February of 2013.

The figures showed a rise of 13 per cent in private sector new build home registrations in December 2013 – February 2014, with 21,336, compared with the same period in 2012-13, when 18,824 new homes were registered.

Public sector registrations in December 2013 - February 2014 rose by 14 per cent from 8,221 when compared with the same period a year ago – 7,180.

Richard Tamayo, NHBC commercial director, said: “Although the results for February in isolation are not particularly strong, the rolling quarter shows that the number of new homes being registered continues to increase.

“Our latest statistics show there is still a way to go before the country starts seeing figures on a par with pre-recession registration statistics, but the new measures revealed in last week’s Budget show that the Government remains committed to boosting the house-building sector.”